Lock for electric switches.



No. 954,455. PATENTED MAY'Zl. 1907. F. w. BRANDOW. LOCK FOR ELECTRICSWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED 1350.12, 1966.

Ill J W/ T NE SSE S A TTORNEYS the inner side of a switch box 1 1.

Fltlllll??? WARNER BRANDGW, OF; PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

LQGK FQR ELECTRIC SWlTCHES Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed December 12, 1906. Serial No. SQYABB.

To ail whom it may concern:

M it .lmown that I, FRANK BRAN-.

new, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsfield, inthe county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a newand Improved Lock for Electric Switches, of which the following isa'full,

clear, and exact description.

this invention relates to means for locking sn automobile or vehicle or"similar character us an inoperative condition, so as to prevent thevehicle from being removed or operated uy any one not authorized to doso. Such plojcct I accomplish by the means illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which drawings like characters of referenceindicate like ports throughout the views, and in which.

Figure 1 is a clan of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the back of a switch box showing my invention appliedthereto; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the switch box shown inFig. 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof, and attached to a battery casing.

As illustrated in the drawings, 1 represents the driving shaft of avehicle, and is mounted upon an engine having cylinders 2, and providedwith a fly-wheel 3. Sparking plugs 4 are connected with the cylinders 2,and are connected with batteries 5 end 6 arranged within a casing 7. Thepositive pole 8 of the battery 5 is connected by means of a wire '9 witha. binding post 10, which is attached to The switch box 11 is made ofany suitable non-conducting material, and is provided with a switch,lever 12 which is secured to a center post 13 having an operating handle13 connected therewith. A wire 14 is attached to the center post 13, andis connected with s spark coil 15 and the spark plugs 4, to conduct aneiectric current from the positive ole 8 through the spark coil 15 andthe cy inders 2 connected therewith, and from said cylindone through awire 16 to a pole 17 of the battery 5 thereby forming a circuitincluding said battery and switch. A circuit is also formed to includethe battery 6 by means of s wire 18, which is connected with the carbonor positive pole 19 of said battery, and extends through-the bindingpost 20 attached to the switch box 11.

The binding posts 10, 20 serve as contact members, ports of which areengaged by the switch tongue 12, so that when the switch handle is movedto the left, according to the binding post 20, the following circuit iscompleted: battery 6, positive pole 19, wire 18, binding post 20, witchtongue 12, center post '13, wire 14, spark coil 15, spark plugs 4: (inparallel with each other) wire 16, wire 21, to negative pole 22 of thebattery 6; When, however, the switch handle 13 is turned to the rightaccording to Fig. 1, so that the switch tongue 12 engages the bindingpost 10, a different circuit is completed, as follows: battery 5,positive pole 8, wire 9, binding postlO, switch tongue 12, wire 14,spark coil 15, spark plugs 1 (in parallel with each other), wire 16, tonegative pole 17 of bat tery 5. It will thus be seen that there are twoseparate and distinct battery'circuits controllable respectively bydifferent positions of the switch handle 13. The result is that if theswitch handle be thrown first into one of its extreme positions and theninto the other, the battery energy is conserved for the reason that eachbattery is given an occc-- s'ionel rest.

Fig. 1, the switch tongue 12 thereby engaging A combination lock 23is'attached to the switch block 11, and is provided with a bolt 24provided with a recess 25 adapted to engage the free end of-the' switchlever 12 and 2 the click combination pattern, adapted to be operated inthe dark by means of the click mechanism thereof.

When the device is in operation and is ,connected with the driving shaftof en automobile in the manner hereinbefore described, the switch 12may. be turned from the binding posts 10 and 20 to a position of nocontact with the binding posts, and may then be locked in such positionby means of the bolt 24' of the lock 23. While in sucbfposb tion thevehicle is rendered inoperative, for the reason that the switch whichcontrols the iiperation of the motive power is rendered inoperativeuntil the switch is released by a person familiar with the combinationof the lock, thereby preventing the machine froim being operated andconsequently removed-by any one except the user. The switch box 11 issecured to the battery onsing 26 by means of blind screws 27 which areattached at one cndto the switch box, and are secured at their opppsitoends to the casing 26 of the batteries, and fastened thoroon by means ofnuts .28, as shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: I

The combination in an apparatus having a sparking device, batteries,separate circuits connecting their respectivnhatteries with the sparkingdevice, and contact oints in their respective circuits, of a switc inboth said circuits and swinging at one end between said contact pointsand into and out of connection therewith, anda lock having a bolt Ioperating on a line between said contact points, and notched'at its endreceiving the free end of the switch and movable into and out ofinterlock with the swinging end of the, r 5 switch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

\ I FRANK WARNER BRANDOW.

' Witnesses:

WARREN E. DAY,

CLARK J. HARDING.

